The heart of the Marionette
by Revan Sama
Summary: The summary is inside. Leliana x Male Cousland and One-sided Leliana x Marjolaine.
1. Chapter one: A rewritten beginning

Author: Revan-sama.

Game: Dragon age origins.

Pairing/character: Leliana x Male Cousland and One-sided Leliana x Marjolaine.

Summary: Before the deadly game, Nothing was uncertain, her blindness and admiration made sure of it.  
>Marjolaine made sure of it. However after a fateful meeting, the rules of the game has been rewritten.<br>For the first time, not only she doubt her methods but also her heart.

**-The heart of the marionette-**

_She was everything I wanted to be.  
>Everything I wanted...<br>And I knew that I loved her for it.  
>But what does it mean to 'know'? Those knowledge are merely vague concepts. And it could all be an illusion...<br>Everyone lives in their own perspectives without knowing what is real or a lie.  
>Even if I misunderstood her, it was okay if I had the wrong impression about her.<br>My feelings, my thoughts, my hope and dreams...  
>She would carry them on as long as time would allow it...<br>But then how come?  
>How come you mere presence make my heart doubt?<em>

**Chapter one: A rewritten beginning.**

Darkness...

Leliana could move around it without being detected by anyone.

As she walked in the shadows, she was following her prey quietly and gracefully like a cat.

Her enemy was indeed very skillful and very well protected but that wouldn't stop her from reaching her goal.

Slowly as she moved quickly toward her target's room while avoiding the guards, she remember her earlier conversation with her Bard mentor, Marjolaine.

"The next target is a noble man coming from Denerim, he has in his possession documents that I need you to recover." The older woman smirked and asked : "Think you are up to my little game?"

"I'm ready for anything, you know that. But those documents must be very important, if they weren't there wouldn't be so much guards around the target's room.  
>Marjolaine, It's been the third time that I have to recover some documents, first Antiva then Nevarra and now Ferelden? Can't you tell me anything more?"<p>

Marjolaine's smirk grew even bigger. She gracefully came toward Leliana and put a hand on her cheek.

"Leliana? Do you trust me?" Whispered the Bard Master.

The younger woman could hardly breath.

"Yes..."

Marjolaine's gaze became even more intense, it was as if she was reading her entire soul like an open book.

"Do you believe me?"

Again, Leliana answered : "Yes..."

She let go of her cheek, smiled and said:

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Yes...There was nothing to worry. As long as Marjolaine would be there.

The woman with red hair finally founded the room, the guards knew about her presence.

They believed that she was a mere thief but still, they were too much to handle herself.

She had to do this quickly.

She entered the room and began to search after the documents her mentor wanted.

Normally they were here...But after ten minutes of searching, she found nothing.

Could it be, the noble man took them with him?

But Marjolaine told her that they were in this room. She was rarely mistaken.

She was going to search once again the whole room but suddenly :

"Did you found the thief?" "No Ser, should we continue to look around?"

The voice behind the door seemed now agitated and even more angry.

"Of course we continue to search, you Moron! I just hope we won't wake up the Arl's important guest from Highever."

After listening for a while, the voices has stopped. The guards had left.

Leliana exited the room and decided to return to Marjolaine to tell her about the missing documents.

Well...Easier said than done.

She had a hard time to escape the guards and it became very desperate.

Maker's breath, What was Marjolaine doing! ?

She decided to hide in a room, not too far from the exit. And wait until the guards has left the corridor.

She entered the new room and locked the door.

She thought it was safe for now, until...

When she turned around and noticed she wasn't alone.

There was a man, sitting on a chair, reading a book, with a surprised look on his face.

She has been caught! Marjolaine will be angry with her.

For a few moments, they both said nothing.

She noticed, that man had beautiful green eyes, also dark brown mid-long hair.

He had a light armor and a two daggers.

For some odd reason, he didn't unsheathed them.

The Silence didn't last...

"My Lord! Are you quite alright? ! We saw someone coming in your room!"

Those guards...how persistent...

The man recovered from his surprise, gave her a small gentle smile and said:

"If you are in such a hurry, maybe you should try the window, Miss."

Leliana was very surprised. Wasn't he going to stop her?

Surely he knew that she killed a few guards (because of the blood on her dagger) and that she was a thief.

No...

He was just standing there, with a small smile and pointing the window.

But Leliana didn't have the time to be surprise.

She ran toward the window, opened it and was already outside.

She heard the guards enter the room and asked:

"My lord, are you alright?"

She heard the man saying:

"Why, yes, I'm totally fine."

The guards were confused:

"But...We saw someone coming in your room."

"Oh...That would have been me. See for yourself, there is no one here."

The guards seemed to believed him, and decided to leave.

"I see...Well, excuse me my lord for the bother, we will leave you alone."

Leliana sighed in relieve when...Marjolaine appeared from the shadows :

"There you are. Now is not the time to sigh, we have to leave immediately before others guards arrive."

She began to run toward the exit. Leliana was going to do the same thing...But she still looked at the window where the man, who helped her, was...

"What are you doing? Come quickly!" Marjolaine called her again.

This time, Leliana came back from her reverie and ran.

As she was running, she couldn't help herself but looking back at that window.

And this time, the man was at the window, biding her goodbye always with that same smile.

She didn't know if it was because she made an effort by running or if she was blushing.

But still, that man had something different from those she had already met.

Something she never thought seeing again in a person.

A true gentle innocent smile.

**END CHAPTER ONE.**


	2. Chapter two: Forgotten gentle time

Author: Revan-sama.

Game: Dragon age origins.

Pairing/character: Leliana x Male Cousland and One-sided Leliana x Marjolaine.

Summary: Before the deadly game, Nothing was uncertain, her blindness and admiration made sure of it.  
>Marjolaine made sure of it. However after a fateful meeting, the rules of the game has been rewritten.<br>For the first time, not only she doubt her methods but also her heart.

**-The heart of the marionette-**

_As I awake from my slumber, my body feel so heavy and strange.  
>My mind is weak with the thoughts of you...<em>

**Chapter two: Forgotten Gentle time.**

She slowly opened her eyes.

This place was Marjolaine's hideout.

Leliana was still in her bed, trying to get some sleep. Without success.

She remember her previous conversation with her mentor about what happened in the noble's estate.

"What do you mean the documents weren't there! ?" Marjolaine was in a bad mood.

But Leliana tried to justify herself : "The documents were probably taken by the Arl. He wasn't in his room."

Still, Marjolaine was very angry : "We have to find them immediately. Haven't you found or heard anything that could lead us to the documents?"

Quickly, Leliana remembered the conversation between the guards captain and his men.

"Well...I've heard the guards captain talking about an important guest from Highever."

The bard master's eyes widen with interest.

"Highever?" The younger woman nodded.

Marjolaine thought out loud: "I've heard about this, he had to give them to someone, Could it be...He gave the documents to that person..."

All the sudden, She wasn't so angry anymore and showed that arrogant smile again. She turned her attention back to Leliana and said:

"It's seems like the game will last a bit more. I need to investigate all this. You have free time until I've finish this."

It has been a long night, some rest would be quite welcome.

However, she couldn't sleep and her thoughts always came to the same source.

The man who helped her to escape.

She couldn't understand logically why he let her go and did not try to arrest her.

Also that smile...It wasn't a smile of mockery or teasing like Marjolaine.

It was a honest smile of concern and gentleness.

Her mentor always told her how it can be very easy to manipulate a man, so he can do whatever you want.

However in this situation, she did nothing. He just let her go and said nothing to the guards.

And she realized she didn't even know his name...

What does it matter anyway?

Why does she want to know his name?

It was nothing of her concern.

Leliana tried to fall asleep, also she tried to forget about the early events and especially that man.

...

The next day.

Marjolaine wasn't back yet. So Leliana decided to go outside a bit.

Denerim...She had to study every single places in that city for her work as a bard.

She went to the market district.

Everything seemed so peaceful here, the children were playing, the merchants were trying to sell their goods, the priests recite the chant of light.

Leliana smiled at the sight of prosperity. But she was so much into her reverie that she bumped into someone.  
>She was going to fall but the person grabbed her hand before she could fall.<p>

"Are you alright?" asked the person.

"...Yes, thank yo-" Her blue eyes widen as she saw who it was.

It was the man who helped her to escape.

"Ah! The lady from last night. Good morning" He said as he let go of her hand.

Leliana felt trapped. What could she do? She couldn't kill him in daylight. Nor run away, that would be suspicious.

"I'm glad to meet you again." He said happily.

This took Leliana off guard, she didn't expect such...sincerity coming from him.

"I...Thank you." She felt foolish to be affected by his kind words

"I realize I don't even know your name. Would you mind telling me?" He asked.

She shouldn't. What if he tell her name to the guards and put her in jail? Also if Marjolaine learn about this, she will be disappointed.

His understanding was a pleasant surprise: "If you do not wish to tell me I'll understand. I just wanted to...call you by your name."

He smiled sadly and added : "I'm sorry to have bothered you, I shall take my leave if you want."

He was going to leave but...

"Leliana."

He turned his attention on her again with an expression of surprise.

"That's...my name." she said.

She couldn't understand it herself why she told him her name nor why she wanted to speak more with this man. But the smile on his face felt like a wonderful reward.

"I see. Nice to meet you Leliana. My name is Aedan."

He took her hand for a hand shake.

She laughed quietly, he wasn't very chivalrous but that was fine.

"Nice to meet you too, Lord Aedan."

He chuckled and said "Please, just Aedan."

After the presentation, he asked her:

"So, do you know much about Denerim?"

"I don't live here, but I needed to know each place of this city for...my profession." She was hesitant to enter into the subject but to her relieve he didn't ask about it.

He grinned and said: "Well this is quite lucky. I've just arrived at Denerim, it's the first time I came here. If it's alright with you maybe you could show me around."

She was still on her guards with him. Mostly because as a bard she had to be careful and also because she had just met him.  
>Still, Marjolaine wouldn't be at the hideout until night. And she had nothing better to do, so...<p>

"I don't mind, although it will take quite some time, there is much to see here."

She grinned a bit and said a familiar sentence "Think you are up to my little game?"

His answer was more than enough.

"I'll tried my best."

And so began the tour of Denerim.

They went almost everywhere, she showed him many places and many spot with a beautiful view.

Most of them were used to watch the targets Marjolaine ordered her to, but she didn't told him that.  
>For the first time after coming in Ferelden, Leliana was enjoying the view and the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded the city of Denerim.<br>Aedan was very impressed by the view as well. She laughed a bit when he almost felt down while trying to have a better look.

For a break, Leliana suggested to Aedan to go eat some pastries from the bakery...The one Marjolaine like very much.

As they ate, all the sudden Leliana began to laugh like a carefree maiden.

"What's so funny?" Asked Aedan curiously.

She stopped herself and explained :

"Ah...Sorry about that. I was just thinking about..." She wasn't sure talking about Marjolaine would be a good thing...

"About?" Now he was curious. She could hardly blame him for it but still...

"If you don't tell me, I won't be able to sleep at night." He sounded like a lost puppy.

She laughed again, maybe if she doesn't tell her mentor's name it will be fine.

"Alright, I'll tell you." He smiled and waited patiently for her to continue.

"I have a...friend who love very much pastry. I remember one day, she ate almost an entire cake herself. I always wondered 'where does it go?' since she never get fat."

Without noticing, Leliana began to talk more and more about Marjolaine. Not the 'bard' part ,of course.  
>But small details that she remembered fondly...Details that the bard master seemed to have forgotten.<p>

And surprisingly Aedan listened to everything she said with an extreme attention.

And all the sudden he said: "Leliana, You must really love that friend of yours."

She looked at him with a blank face. Has she talked too much?

"You...think so?" she said slowly

He smiled and said: "Yes. The way you smile when you talk about her, the way you laugh at fond memories...  
>She must be someone really special to your heart. You are quite lucky to have such a person at your side...It almost make me envious."<p>

She blushed and smiled at his kind words.

Being a bard was a very difficult life but it never has bother her.  
>Still, it was nice to do something else than watching your back every time in fear of being stabbed or to kill or to tell pretty lies for your own gain.<p>

With him, with Aedan she felt like she was innocent again. It was a nice sentiment.

And without realizing it quite yet, she thought unconsciously:

If only it could last forever.

However it was already night and it was time to say farewell.

"Thank you for showing me around Leliana, it was wonderful." Said Aedan.

"You're welcome..." Somehow she felt hollow. Why would she be sad? She would probably never see him again and it was all better...Or was it?

"...? Is something wrong?" He was concerned.

"No, it' nothing." she said quietly.

He smiled at her and said: " Leliana, give me your hands."

"Huh?" She was confused but she did it anyway.

He gave her a medium package and said: "it's for you."

She was very surprised and her eyes widen as she saw what was in the package.

Powder blue satin shoes with long ribbons that circle the ankle. Gold lace trim and dangling gold charms shaped like puppies add the finishing touches.

It was the same shoes she was looking at that shop. And that was how Aedan learned about Leliana's love for shoes. So when she wasn't looking he was buying them for her.

"You wanted them right?"

"Well, yes, but why would you-"

"It's a thank you for showing me around the city. You could have just tell me no, but you didn't. You are a very kind and beautiful person Leliana." He said with a gentle smile and his eyes became tender.

She blushed at the compliment. It wasn't uncommon that men told her she was beautiful.

But to call her kind and beautiful at the same time...It was the first time for Leliana.

"What a flatter you are. I bet you tell that to every women you help to escape from guards." She said to hide her embarrassment.

He chuckled and said: "Only the cutes ones."

She giggled and bid him farewell for now.

...

When Leliana returned to Marjolaine's hideout, her mentor was already there.

When she saw her, the bard master had a satisfied smile on her face.

She clapped her hands and said to the younger woman:

"Clever Leliana, very clever. I was almost fooled myself! You are truly a perfect bard. I knew I trained you well."

Leliana looked at her with confusion. What was she talking about?

"Marjolaine? What is going on?"

The older woman's smile grew bigger: "Oh, no need to be modest my Leliana. You know perfectly what I'm talking about.  
>Bumping by 'coincidence' into our next target from highever and to seduce him was a marvelous plan."<p>

Highever! ? Could Aedan be the Arl's guest ? The one who had the documents Marjolaine wanted to retrieve immediately? And also...wait a minute...

Leliana's eyes widen: "You...You were watching me?"

Marjolaine seemed amused by that reaction. She walked toward Leliana and whispered in her right ear: "You should already know this, pretty thing. I always watch you."

She was going to do more, Leliana could hardly breath and swallow.

She gaps as Marjolaine was kissing her neck slowly and going down more. Leliana was flustered, in her heart she always had wished for more.

But...But...

(_His beautiful tender green eyes, his gentle smile, his soft chuckle. The gift he bought her. Her mind was plagued with thoughts of him, him, him.)_

No...

No!

She pushed Marjolaine back and said : "We...We have much to do...No?"

The bard master seemed both surprised and also annoyed.

Like a possessive predator who lost her prey.

But she regained composure and said: "Indeed, we have much to do. The target will go back to Highever in a few days with the documents."

What she said next made Leliana's heart beating faster but she didn't show it.

"You have to gain the trust of the target and take the documents from his corps. I'll tell you more about the target later."

"Corps? I have to kill him?" asked Leliana.

Marjolaine smirked: "Like always, no witnesses, understood?"

"I...Yes..." After that she went back to her room and closed the door.

She pressed her back against the door and sat down.

Leliana was hugging the box with the shoes against her chest.

"What is happening to me?"

(_She pushed Marjolaine back._)

She love her mentor with all her heart...And yet...Little by little, in such short time without knowing, something else was born within her.

A feeling that she never thought she would feel for anyone except Marjolaine.

They were both so different, Marjolaine was the shadow and Aedan was the light.

She taught her many things about the world but he also taught her another part of this world.

A part where you don't need to kill or running away for your life.

She loved her mentor and she also felt tormented by her second love for the young noble.

Betray Marjolaine...or...kill Aedan.

For the first time, she doubted and was ashamed to admit it.

"And now...What am I going to do?"

**END OF CHAPTER TWO.**


	3. Chapter three: Withered heart

Author: Revan-sama.

Game: Dragon age origins.

Pairing/character: Leliana x Male Cousland and One-sided Leliana x Marjolaine.

Summary: Before the deadly game, Nothing was uncertain, her blindness and admiration made sure of it.  
>Marjolaine made sure of it. However after a fateful meeting, the rules of the game has been rewritten.<br>For the first time, not only she doubt her methods but also her heart.

Author's note: I'm thinking about doing two end: A happy ending and a bad (sad) ending. I don't know if it's a good idea or not but I'll try to do my best.

**-The heart of the marionette-**

_My heart is breaking.  
>It's killing me slowly.<br>Where lies my true feelings?  
>I can't do a thing.<br>That's why...  
>I'm a marionette.<em>

**Chapter three: Withered heart.**

She was waiting for him in his room at the inn, and not at the market district like she was accustomed to do the last few days.

He wasn't late, but she decided to come earlier and tried to clear her thoughts. Yet, Marjolaine's words always came in her mind. She remembered bitterly her mentor's instructions:

"Aedan Cousland is the younger son of Bryce Cousland, the Teyrn of Highever. He was sent here in Denerim for political affairs and at the same time for the documents I need to recover."

At that time, she couldn't move nor speak.

"Those documents can't fall into the Teyrn's hands. You must retrieve them before it happens, understood?"

At that time, Leliana could barely hear what her mentor was saying. Her heart was throbbing and it felt like it was made of glass, ready to shatter.

"Try to gain his trust, seduce him and when you found the documents, kill him."

How did she end up in such a mess?

She only nodded to what Marjolaine said. The game was becoming...too personal.

Never would she have thought of falling in love with someone else or that it would have influenced her this much.

The last few days she had spent with Aedan felt like she was in another world.

A world full of pleasant surprises and wonders beyond murder and lies. She couldn't stop thinking about him.

The time she spent with him, the things she learned about him, made her love him even more.

She knew Marjolaine was watching her to know how far was the progress of taking back the documents.

What her mentor didn't know was that she was truly happy when she was with Aedan.

She wasn't pretending for once.

He make her feel younger, foolish like a carefree maiden.

It was different from the love she had for her mentor.

She wanted to be like her and always felt that nothing would happen between them until she became perfect like her.

With Aedan, she didn't have to be like Marjolaine to have his affection. All she had to do was to be herself. He was never expecting more.

However she didn't know how he truly feel about her. They flirted sometime, but he never actually said anything about his feelings.

Leliana didn't know what she dread the most: That he doesn't feel the same or indeed he feel the same.

Whichever it was, The young red haired woman felt like her heart would break into pieces.

She was supposed to use him for her own gain, for Marjolaine.

Leliana never felt guilty about the previous men she seduced and killed. It was her job as a bard.

Yet...

The few days they've spent together...

The stories she told him, heard during her travels or that her mother told her when she was still alive.  
>His eagerness to know more about them. The funny moments he told her about with his elder brother Fergus Cousland.<br>The pleasant look of surprise when he gave her the flowers Andraste's grace to remember her mother.

All those moments...She couldn't erase them from her heart.

But the best moments always come to an end.

Marjolaine was growing more and more impatient.  
>The older woman asked her to retrieve the documents today as a deadline before he would return to Highever.<p>

So Leliana asked Aedan if they could talk somewhere private and he suggest his room at the inn.

She take a look at the dagger she brought, she could see her reflection on the blade.

Her determination was decreased at each minutes elapsed.

Bring the documents to me and kill him.

Those simple words were echoing in her mind and Aedan's kind smile was all she could see.

She bit her lower lip to the point of losing a small amount of blood.

Could she really do such a thing? She didn't wanted to be discarded by Marjolaine...  
>But she also didn't wanted to kill that wonderful person who also held a piece of her heart.<p>

As she heard some footsteps outside the room, she hid her dagger and wiped the blood on her mouth.

It was Aedan. He entered the room and closed the door behind him.

He looked back at her and asked: "You said you had something you wished to discuss with me. What is it?" Now that he was here, it seemed difficult to talk.

She was trembling a bit, not because of fear but because of her raging feelings inside.

"Leliana?" He took a step toward her and put his right hand on her shoulder.

Leliana looked at him in the eyes and said: "I...I know we haven't known each-other for a long time."

She had a hard time to breath but she continued: "But during the time we have spent together I've grown to...care about you." She blushed slightly.

His eyes widen a bit : "Leliana-" She interrupted him : "Please, let me finish." He nodded.

"I'm being unfair and selfish because...There is someone else who also have a place in my heart."

Then she looked elsewhere, not to meet his eyes. She felt ashamed.

"She is a remarkable person, someone that I can't just forget." Her voice was shaking.

"That person...is it the friend you were talking about?" She nodded, still not looking at him in the eyes.

That was it. He would probably reject her. Her heart would be broken, but maybe then she wouldn't feel so guilty and hesitant about killing him.

It was for the best, to be rejected even if her heart was telling a different story.

He said nothing, his face was emotionless for a moment then he smiled a bit sadly.

"And here I was wondering what you were going to say..." He put a hand under her chin to make her look at him.

"Leliana...Even so, I don't mind." Her eyes widen at what he just said.

"Without a heart full of love and compassion, it wouldn't be the real you.  
>You are a very beautiful person both inside and outside.<br>I won't think otherwise just because you also love someone else."

He took her hand, put it on his right cheek and closed his eyes blissfully :" Even if I have only a small part of your heart, it make me happy that you feel the same."

"! ?"

Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

She couldn't do it.

No matter what Marjolaine would say.

She just couldn't.

She putted both hands on his cheeks and without a warning, kissed him.

Despise his surprise, Aedan found himself melting into Leliana's soft, urgent lips.

In the end he didn't resisted and let himself loving her.

Time seems to have slowed down, as they made love.

Their love, emotions, wants and needs couldn't be described with words.

No words were exchanged or needed between the two lovers as they did the deed.

...

She was the first one to wake up. The early morning light spilled through the closed curtains,  
>bathing the room in a warm light as Leliana sat down on the edge of the bed beside Aedan and watched him sleep for a few more minutes with a tender look.<p>

But she knew she couldn't stay much longer. Marjolaine will want some answers and she wasn't even sure she could provide her some.  
>As she dressed herself he also woke up and asked:<p>

"Where are you going?"

She turned around to face him and smiled sadly: "I'm sorry, I have to leave for my...work. There are some things I have to do."

She hesitated before speaking again but she said it anyway: "Will I see you after I've finish?"

He answer her immediately with a grin: "Of course. I will be here."

She smiled, nodded and leaved the room.

...

It was already afternoon.

She didn't return at Marjolaine's hideout so soon...

First she needed to prepare herself. To know what she would do, what she would say.

Leliana didn't felt ready enough to face her mentor but there was no point of waiting much longer.

Strangely Marjolaine wasn't there at the moment. Leliana felt relieved but at the same time worried.

Then she found a small piece of paper on Marjolaine's desk.

As she read the note, her eyes widen and quickly left the hideout.

It was written: "If you don't play your part of the game, then I will."

She stormed outside and searched everywhere in Denerim.

She searched and searched...and saw the unbelievable.

Aedan was talking with...Marjolaine in person.

Almost, as if the older woman could feel Leliana's gaze, she smirked arrogantly.

**END OF CHAPTER THREE**


End file.
